/// HD Camcorder Comparison

Picture ?

Manufacturer

Sony

Panasonic

Sony

Manufacturer

Name

PMW-EX1

HDC-Z10000 (2D-Modus)

PMW-F3

Name

European name ?

PMW-EX1E

HDC-Z10000 (2D-Modus)

PMW-F3K

European name ?

US name ?

PMWEX1

HDC-Z10000 (2D-Modus)

PMW-F3K

US name ?

lowest US price

6299 $

(3499) $

(24633) $

lowest US price

On the market since

November 2007

November 2011

July 2011

On the market since

Manufacturers URL

link to Sony

link to Panasonic

Manufacturers URL

Test preview

slashCAM rating ?

Very good

slashCAM rating ?

test picture 1200 Lux

Test image 12 lux auto-mode

Video

Video formats ?

XDCAM EX

AVCHD
MVC 3D

XDCAM EX

Video formats ?

Recording Medium

SxS / PC Express

SD Card
SDHC card
SDXC card

SDHC card

Recording Medium

video resolutions EU ?

MPEG2 1920x1080 1-30p
MPEG2 1280x720 1-60p
MPEG2 1920x1080 1-60i
MPEG2 1440 x1080 1-60i

AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50p
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/50i
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/25p
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/24p

XDCAM EX x1080/24p 1920, 25p, 30p, 50i, 60i
XDCAM EX 1280 x 720/24p, 25p, 30p, 50p, 60p

video resolutions EU ?

video resolutions US ?

MPEG2 1920x1080 1-30p
MPEG2 1280x720 1-60p
MPEG2 1920x1080 1-60i
MPEG2 1440 x1080 1-60i

AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60i
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/24p
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/30p
AVCHD 1920 x 1080/60p

XDCAM EX x1080/24p 1920, 25p, 30p, 50i, 60i
XDCAM EX 1280 x 720/24p, 25p, 30p, 50p, 60p

video resolutions US ?

Max Bitrate ?

35 Mbit/s

28 Mbit/s

35 Mbit/s

Max Bitrate ?

Compression format ?

XDCAM MPEG2

MPEG4

MPEG2

Compression format ?

on-board memory ?

Optics

Optics Manufacturer ?

Fujinon

Panasonic

Optics Manufacturer ?

Optical Zoom ?

14 x

12 x

Optical Zoom ?

Wide Angle 16:9 ?

31,4 mm

29,8 mm

Wide Angle 16:9 ?

Filter diameter ?

77 mm

- mm

PL-mount
mm

Filter diameter ?

Image Stabilization ?

optical

optically and electronically

Image Stabilization ?

ND Filter ?

Exchangable optics ?

Yes

Exchangable optics ?

Image Sensor

Number of sensors ?

Size of image sensor ?

1/2 inch

1/4,1 inch

1/Super35 mm equivalent
inch

Size of image sensor ?

image sensor effective pixel count 16:9 ?

2073600 Pixel

3050000 Pixel

2000000 Pixel

image sensor effective pixel count 16:9 ?

Image Sensor Type ?

CMOS

Image Sensor Type ?

Controls

White Balance ?

auto
manual
presets

auto
manual
presets
WB-Shift

White Balance ?

Focus ?

auto
manual

manual

Focus ?

Minimum shutter time ?

1/2.000

Minimum shutter time ?

Maximum shutter time ?

1/3

1/24

1/32

Maximum shutter time ?

Apperture control ?

auto
manual

auto
manual
AE-Shift

Apperture control ?

Infrared recording ?

Expanded Focus ?

Yes

Expanded Focus ?

Peaking ?

Yes

Peaking ?

Signal Processing

Zebra ?

70-100%

50-105%

70-100%

Zebra ?

Histogram ?

Yes

Histogram ?

adjustable sharpness ?

Yes

adjustable sharpness ?

Adjustable color ?

Yes

Adjustable color ?

Cinegamma ?

Yes

Cinegamma ?

Black Strech ?

Yes

Black Strech ?

Knee ?

Yes

Knee ?

Colorbars ?

Yes

Colorbars ?

Misc.

Shot Transition ?

Yes

Shot Transition ?

Custom Presets ?

Yes

Custom Presets ?

Set Time Code ?

Yes

Set Time Code ?

Configuration

Connections

FBAS ?
synonymous: RCA, composite

Out

FBAS ?
synonymous: RCA, composite

YC ?
synonymous: S-Video

Out

YC ?
synonymous: S-Video

YUV ?
synonymous: Component Signal

Out

YUV ?
synonymous: Component Signal

HDMI ?

Out

HDMI ?

DV / HDV (FireWire) ?
synonymous: ILink / IEEE-1394

In
Out

Out

DV / HDV (FireWire) ?
synonymous: ILink / IEEE-1394

USB ?

USB 2.0

USB ?

Microphone / Audio input ?

XLR

Microphone / Audio input ?

Headphones ?

3.5 mm mini-jack

Mini-jack

Headphones ?

Lanc ?

Time-code interface ?

In
Out

Time-code interface ?

Genlock ?

Accessory shoe ?

Standard

Accessory shoe ?

HD-SDI ?

Out

HD-SDI ?

Misc.

Weight (without battery)

2400 g

1600 g

Weight (without battery)

Weight (with battery)

2800 g

2400 g

Weight (with battery)

Battery type

Sony BP-U30

Panasonic CGA-D54s

Battery type

Battery capacity

5400 mAh

Battery capacity

Charger ?

external

Charger ?

Remote control

Yes

Remote control

Size

Height

178 mm

145 mm

Height

Width

176 mm

195 mm

Width

Depth

311 mm

350 mm

Depth

Relative Size ?

Viewfinder

Viewfinder available ?

Yes

Viewfinder available ?

Color Viewfinder ?

B/W and color

Color

Color Viewfinder ?

Viewfinder format ?

16:9

Viewfinder format ?

Viewfinder pixels ?

252000 Pixel

1226880 Pixel

Viewfinder pixels ?

Display

Display available ?

Yes

Display available ?

Color display ?

Color

Color display ?

Display size

3,5 Inch

Display size

Display format ?

16:9

Display format ?

Display pixels ?

921000 Pixel

1152000 Pixel

921600 Pixel

Display pixels ?

Touch Screen ?

Yes

Touch Screen ?

External controls

Manual Zoom ?

Rocker
Ring

Manual Zoom ?

Manual Focus ?

Ring

Manual Focus ?

Manual Aperture ?

Ring

Manual Aperture ?

Focus switcher ?

Yes

Focus switcher ?

ND Filter ?

Yes

ND Filter ?

Exp Lock ?

Yes

Exp Lock ?

Gain ?

Yes

Gain ?

White balance ?

Yes

White balance ?

Push AF ?

Yes

Push AF ?

Audio Levels ?

Yes

Audio Levels ?

Custom Keys ?
synonymous: User buttons

Audio

Audio Formats ?

MiniDV: 2x48kHz 16bit PCM
HDV: 2x48kHz 16bit MPEG 1

AC-3 Dolby Digital 5.1 640 kbit max.
Dolby AC-3 Digital 2 channel 48 KHz
2 channel PCM

Audio Formats ?

Microphone ?

external XLR

external XLR
5.1 Internal

Microphone ?

Audio Control ?

auto
manual

Audio Control ?

Audio levels ?

Viewfinder
Screen

Audio levels ?

Still

Recording Medium ?

Medium included ?

Effective pixels ?

Resolutions ?

Standard ?

Flash ?

Misc.

Specials

Product Shots

View 1

View 2

Test results

Test pictures

luminance resolution

chrominance resolution

lens distortion

test small ISO image

noise / internal microphone

test picture 1200 Lux

Test image 12 lux auto-mode ?

Test image 12 lux optimized ?

slashCAM rating

Lowlight ?

Excellent

Good

Excellent

Lowlight ?

Resolution ?

Good

Excellent

Resolution ?

Color performance ?

Very good

Color performance ?

subj.Picture impression ?

Very good

subj.Picture impression ?

Optical Zoom ?

Satisfactory

Sufficient

Poor

Optical Zoom ?

Wide Angle ?

Very good

Excellent

Good

Wide Angle ?

Configuration / image ?

Excellent

Very good

Excellent

Configuration / image ?

Configuration / sound ?

Excellent

Configuration / sound ?

Handling ?

Very good

Handling ?

Portability ?

Satisfactory

Sufficient

Portability ?

Photo function ?

Poor

Photo function ?

Optics ?

Very good

Optics ?

Dynamics ?

Very good

Dynamics ?

Conclusion slashCAM

slashCAM rating ?

Very good

slashCAM rating ?

Total score ?
(maximal 570)

459

450

447

Total score ?
(maximal 570)

Pros

+ excellent image quality
+ Manual handling
+ Exceptionally well equipped
+ LowLight behavior

+ Extreme manual control options
+ Very good image quality
+ Good 3D control

+ excellent image quality
+ Large sensor
+ Manual settings

Pros

Cons

- Expensive SxS memory cards
- jerky zoom

- No ND filter
- Autostereoscopic display mode

Cons

Conclusion

The Sony PMW-EX1 offers an absolutely convincing technology with virtually all imaginable (and even some innovative) control options.Add to that a very good lens which thanks to a digital CAC rarely shows chromatic aberrations.The lowlight performance of the camera is currently a class for itself.

Even as a 2D camcorder the Z10000 is absolutely competitive thanks to the professional features and excellent image quality.The additional 3D capabilities are currently unique in this price range (and even much further) (as of 11/2011).

In spite of the CMOS chip the F3 is closer to the F35 than it seems at first glance: it supports dual link 4:4:4 RGB, S-Log, so with robust PL-recording and decent lenses the F3 might make a good B-camera at a cinema movie set.The 35 Mbs MPEG2 material on a SxS device functions in addition to the external recording capabilities almost as a kind of proxy.Sure, a higher quality internal recording would be nice, but as there are lots of inexpensive options for an external recording in these modular times it is not mandatory.The Sony PMW-F3 convinces with extremely good light sensitivity with very low noise even at higher gain levels.With an MSRP of around 24,000 Euro for the Sony PMW-F3K (approximately 16,000 Euro for the L-version without PL-lens kit), it is a very attractive entry in the S35 digital cinema class.

Conclusion

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